


Things You See In A Graveyard

by dramaticbanjo



Category: The Transformers (IDW Generation One), Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: Gen, mentions of DoubleDealer
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-14
Updated: 2015-06-14
Packaged: 2018-04-04 09:09:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,425
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4131972
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dramaticbanjo/pseuds/dramaticbanjo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rung attempts to talk to Rodimus about what happened in Nyon and on Ki-Alita.<br/>Rodimus is resistant.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Things You See In A Graveyard

“Calm down, Rodimus, and relax. Just let the memories flow.” Normally, Rodimus had no problem with Rung, until the therapist had cornered--somehow--the co-captain and politely told him that he absolutely, and in  no way,  could get out of the next appointment with him. Rodimus had managed to do it for two years, but apparently enough was enough in Rung’s optics, and so Rodimus found himself lying back on the couch in Rung’s office, fingers clenching and unclenching with the urge to crush the smaller ‘bot’s glasses right on his face.

Rung was trying to poke him about things that were  four million years old.  Rodimus huffed as Rung peered at him through his thick spectacles, and tried again. 

“Alright, good, now...now, can you tell me about Nyon. Just to set the stage.”

“It was a rusted pit, that’s what it was. Like any other poor district before the war. Half of the citizens were Decepticons before anyone even knew what the word meant.” Rodimus snorted, a bad habit he picked up from Earth that drove Prowl up the wall, “And right before the war  really  started, Zeta Prime unleashed a mass of war machines on it and it used the citizens for fuel.” He shrugged, spoiler on slightly scraping the berth, “And if you’ve been around Autobot brass, you’ll know the mission report. What’s it got to do with anything?”

“You played a key role in it.”

“Okay, so I threatened to blow up Optimus at the time, but it was for a good reason.”

“Of course--wait, you threatened Optimus Prime?” Before his glasses, Rung’s optics readjusted themselves, focusing in on the flame colored Autobot on his couch. Rodimus sniggered, “I needed his attention, and I was apart of the freedom fighters in Nyon so...yeah. Desperate times, desperate measures, or whatever.”

He heard the click of Rung’s stylus on his datapad, and his gaze flicked over, only to see Rung was still studying him.

“...What?”

“That’s not all that happened, isn’t it?”

“I was only there for the last part of it.”

“That’s not what I meant.” Rung gently pressed, “Rodimus, I would like you to recount for me as much as you can.” That made Rodimus scowl, his engine giving a low grumble, “Make nice with Magnus if you want the full report.”

“That’s not what I meant either, and you  know  that.” When Rodimus didn’t answer, glaring petulantly at the ceiling, Rung sighed, “Rodimus.”

“Ring.”

“It’s Rung, and I am  very  certain you know it at this moment.” Getting no answer again, Rung set aside his datapad and stylus, clasping his hands on his knee, “Rodimus, I would like you to talk to me.”

“I am, but you keep trying to talk about stuff that hasn’t mattered in four million years.” 

“You’ve been jumping through time, Rodimus, to before the war. On this ship, I do believe your experiences from four million years ago is important. There is time for reflection now.”

Rodimus made a dismissive sound, shifting his position on his back to get more comfortable. “I still think this is useless, Rong.”

“You never know where things may lead--and, it’s Rung.” 

 

Rodimus shifted in his position again, before letting out a long vent, “ Fine.  Since you’re our smart, analyze our processors ‘bot, you  probably  know I do have a medal for ‘sacrifice & service’ or some glitched up crap for what I did back on Nyon. One of the first things Autobot brass did when we were an actual, working force.”

“I know of it.”

Another derisive noise from Rodimus’ engine, “That medal is a piece of crap, and everyone who was there knows it.” He kept fidgeting, motor running low in the background, before he pulled himself up, one knee tucked close to his chest, “...I ended up using the explosives I threatened Optimus with.”

Rung’s eyebrow plates rose, “The explosives.”

“Yeah, yeah, the explosives. Rigged most of that side of the district myself.” Rodimus said distractedly, bringing up one hand to chew absently at his knuckle joint, “I set them off when Zeta landed his war machines on the city. He planned to drain everyone living there to fuel his war against the Decepticons, so I--I set off the explosives so he couldn’t. It was either a slow, agonizing death through Zeta, or a mercy kill through fire.” He inhaled deeply, optics focusing on the far wall, a thin line of bright energon flowing from where he had bitten down too hard, “So i bombed the entire city of Nyon, and almost everyone died in the explosions. Only the ‘bots who were with Optimus and me outside of the city survived.” 

The quiet click of a stylus seemed to bring him back to reality, and Rodimus blinked, his optics clearing back into a bright blue, and he glanced at Rung, who had returned to writing on his datapad. 

“What, so you like, got my processor mapped out from that?”

“I’m just making notes. The report that I read of Nyon was very…”

Rodimus’ engine growled, cutting him off, “Frag the report--Prowl probably wrote it. Frag Prowl too, while we’re at it.” Leaving Rodimus to grumble threats under his breath, Rung flipped to another page on his datapad, “Now, if you’re still up for continuing this session…”

“Aw, slag, we’re not done yet?” Rodimus protested with a drawn out whine, but just as suddenly quieted when Rung continued.

“...I would like to discuss Dealer.” 

“Dealer’s dead, end of story. I shot him before he could shoot me, because he was a fragging traitor with the energon of three good Autobots on his hands--for some stupid artifact that didn’t do  slag  after i asked it if he betrayed me--us.” Rodimus’ fist slammed into the wall, engine rattling ominously as he breathed hard, “It’s over--finished. Don’t see what the point is to talk about.”

“You went to great lengths to help him before the reveal.”

“I would for any soldier. The squad was under my command and he was the only one that I thought survived it. I thought it was my duty.” Rodimus’ tone was bitter, “Fat lot of good that was.”

“Even infiltrating a previously unbreachable Decepticon prison?”

“Maybe I just liked the challenge.”

“A solo mission alone? Special Operations could have handled it. You were a frontline soldier at the time, they were all experts at infiltration and extraction.”

Rodimus dropped his fist from the imprint on the wall, “...But I knew they wouldn’t. Too risky for one agent, or something. So I got mad and tried to prove them wrong.” His optics flickered sideways to look at Rung, “Being in the spotlight--isn’t that what you pegged me for?”

“Initially, yes. But I believe rescuing Dealer was also something else: you felt guilty for losing your squad, and felt like you were responsible for setting things right. And when Dealer was revealed to be a traitor, you felt guilt again, because you thought it was your responsibility to have seen through him before.” Rodimus said nothing, his expression dark, yet unreadable, before he stood up quickly, almost brushing Rung out of way as he walked towards the door.

“Rodimus? Where are you going?”

“We’re done here.”

“Rodimus?”

“I said we’re done. Nyon’s old news and Dealer’s dead. Figure out someone else’s processor to play with.” Rodimus practically snarled before pulling open the door and leaving, footsteps heavy. 

In his now empty office, Rung let out a long breath, and adjusted his glasses, setting his datapad aside so he could get up and shut the door, before crossing the room and studying the new fist-sized dent in his wall. For all his flippancy and attitude, Rodimus felt emotions very deeply--had had a bright spark, as some would say.

Carefully, Rung took off his glasses and cleaned them, still deep in thought. In a way, Rodimus had been right--pre war events like the destruction of Nyon and the result of the failed mission on Ki-Aleta had little bearing in the face of the ending of the war and the troubles the Lost Light seemed to quite often find itself in. Even so, Rodimus still held guilt over those events; Rung could see it in every line of his frame. 

And the only way Rodimus seemed to know how to let it was anger and self punishment, Rung noted to himself as he reached out and gently touched the dent.

He hoped Rodimus would come for their next appointment. 


End file.
